General Gaming Article

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• SOPA Author Says Opponents Lack Credibility
• Dish to Shutter More Blockbuster Stores Than Expected
• Security Software Maker AVG to File for $125 Million IPO
• Grooveshark Goes HTML5 on Mobile to Avoid Ban
• More Sights from CES 2012
• iPad 3 May Launch in March with 4G LTE
• No BS Podcast #182: The Pointy Ears Edition
• U.K. Student Being Extradited To U.S. For Linking To Pirated Shows
• New Plextor External CD/DVD Drive Connects To TVs, Too
• Minecraft, Destructoid, Others Join January 18 SOPA Blackout Protest

SOPA Author Says Opponents Lack Credibility Posted: 13 Jan 2012 03:15 PM PST Texas Representative Lamar Smith was recently interviewed by Reuters about his authorship of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and the Congressman vociferously defended the legislation. Smith even went so far as to call into question the motives of opponents. It could be said that Smith calling into question the credibility of SOPA opponents is more than a little ironic. Smith asserted in the interview that Google makes money by advertising on sites that would be blocked by SOPA. For that reason, their motives are suspect. Not much was said of experts on the net who have been attempting to explain the inherent dangers in altering the DNS system as SOPA  would require. Under SOPA, any foreign site found to have copyright infringing material would be blocked in the U.S.. Smith vowed to get the bill through to a scheduled vote later this month. Reddit announced this week that the site will be going dark for a day next week in protest of the bill. Internet giants like Google, Facebook, and Twitter have been contemplating doing the same.  Do you think Lamar Smith will get SOPA passed later this month?

Dish to Shutter More Blockbuster Stores Than Expected Posted: 13 Jan 2012 02:54 PM PST Dish Network has revised the plans for its recently purchased Blockbuster video rental business. After originally saying that about 1500 stores would remain open, with 90% employee retention, the satellite provider is backtracking. The company CEO is now claiming that only profitable stores will remain open. "We are committed to keeping the profitable stores open that are generating positive cash flow, but there are ones that aren't going to make it," CEO Joe Clayton said. Some of the remaining stores will be re-purposed into Dish network customer service outlets. There is no time line for the closures, but don't be surprised to see your local video rental store shut down.  Dish paid $320 million for Blockbuster with the intention of using the brand and existing streaming rights to build a Netflix competitor. The resulting service is initially only open to Dish subscribers. When was the last time you rented a movie?

Security Software Maker AVG to File for $125 Million IPO Posted: 13 Jan 2012 02:39 PM PST AVG is well regarded in tech savvy circles for serving up generally capable free antivirus software, as well as a line of paid security products with more advanced features. It's a freemium model that's worked well for the company, and because AVG's antivirus software has remained fairly solid throughout the years, it's built a positive reputation for itself, one that might be worth a whole lot of money. The security firm announced today that it has filed for an initial public offering (IPO), and according to Reuters, AVG is hoping to raise as much as $125 million. Officially, AVG says the number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed shares have not yet been determined. Tech IPOs are popular again, and this might be the best time for AVG to take itself public. According to Reuters, AVG's subscription revenue is $130.1 million and its platform-derived revenue is $68.02 million. Both contributed to the company's reported net income of $99.7 million on total revenue of $198.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011.

Grooveshark Goes HTML5 on Mobile to Avoid Ban Posted: 13 Jan 2012 02:38 PM PST Grooveshark is currently being sued by everyone under the sun for its controversial non-licensed music streaming service. As the legal pressures continued to mount in 2011, Grooveshark's app was pulled from the iOS App Store, and the Android Market. Rather than go back and forth with Google and Apple, Grooveshark has opted to bypass the app stores with an HTML5 web app. The new Grooveshark HTML5 site can stream music to any modern mobile device that complies with HTML5 standards. So that means that even non-Jailbroken iOS devices will once again be able to get access to Grooveshark. Android users have been able to sideload the app since it was removed from the store, but this solution is clearly easier. The web app feels almost native, and scales to a variety of screen sizes.  The recording industry alleges that Grooveshark uploaded illegally ripped music itself to fill out its collection. The company was paying royalties to the industry, but neglected to seek licensing deals beforehand. Grooveshark's long-term potential is murky, but at least mobile users can listen again.

More Sights from CES 2012 Posted: 13 Jan 2012 02:31 PM PST CES reminds the best of us of our frailty. Eyes, nose, lips, and hands dried out by the desert air; feet and knees signaling that they weren't designed to traverse miles of flat concrete per day, we nonetheless carried on motivated by our obsession with computer tech. Our physical sufferings were rewarded with gifts of new and cool laptops, enclosures, motherboards, mobile devices, connected home hubs, and even a robot or two. Soon, we'll haul our carcasses to the airport and attempt to revive. But for now, check out more new gear from CES 2012!

iPad 3 May Launch in March with 4G LTE Posted: 13 Jan 2012 02:10 PM PST Apple's first iPad tablet launched in the U.S. on April 3, 2010., while the iPad 2 came out less than a year later on March 11, 2011. It's a small sample size, to be sure, but following the 11-month release cycle, we wouldn't be surprised to see the iPad 3 come out in February, though the latest chatter has Apple's third generation tablet PC making its debut in March. That's the word from Bloomberg anyway, which is basing its iPad 3 release prediction based on information obtained from "three people familiar with the product." According to Bloomberg and its sources, Apple's manufacturing partners in Asia have ramped up production in recent weeks and will have their assembly lines working at full tilt by February. Since we can reasonably surmise the iPad 3 is nearing release, much more interesting is what kind of hardware it will bring to the tablet show, especially as the competition is much more fierce than it was a year ago. Bloomberg says the iPad 3 will rock a quad-core processor of some sort, an upgrade that should help with multitasking and game performance. There's also been talk of a high definition screen, and it might even sport a 4G LTE radio. In terms of market share, Apple's iPad line leads the way, but we're starting to see more compelling Android devices, such as the high end Transformer Prime by Asus, along with affordable tablets like the Kindle Fire ($199) from Amazon and Nook Tablet ($249) from Barnes & Noble. Another interesting side story is the evolution of the iPad tablet without Steve Jobs offering his input. The iPad 3 will be the first major product launch from Apple following the untimely death of Jobs, and the second product launch with Tim Cook in charge (the iPhone 4S was the first).

No BS Podcast #182: The Pointy Ears Edition Posted: 13 Jan 2012 12:23 PM PST The gang's back, and with a couple of weeks worth of news to talk about, busier than ever. Tune into episode number 182 of the No BS Podcast to catch up on news about Sandy Bridge E, Bulldozer, Ultrabooks, and Nathan's shameful Elvish secret. Computer trouble? Star Trek argument? Need advice? Just need to get something off your chest? A secret to share? Email us at maximumpcpodcast@gmail.com or call our 24-hour No BS Podcast hotline at 877.404.1337 x1337--operators are not standing by. Subscribe: http://feeds.feedburner.com/maximumpc/1337

U.K. Student Being Extradited To U.S. For Linking To Pirated Shows Posted: 13 Jan 2012 11:31 AM PST Bad news for Brits: you too can be punished for violating U.S. copyright law! Richard O'Dwyer, a 23 year old student at Sheffield Hallam University, created the TVShack.net website, which U.S. officials claim linked to illegal movie and TV show files. Not hosted; just linked. Today, the Westminster Magistrates' Court ruled that O'Dwyer could be extradited to the U.S. and brought to trial for copyright infringement. On top of being shipped overseas, O'Dwyer faces up to five years in U.S. prison if convicted, the BBC reports. It's the first case of its kind, and O'Dwyer's lawyer claims that the student is being used as a "guinea pig." As a cherry on top, O'Dwyer was never actually charged with any crimes in Britain itself. O'Dwyer is expected to appeal the decision. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency contends that O'Dwyer's website raked in over a quarter-million dollars in ad revenue before they were able to shut down the site.

New Plextor External CD/DVD Drive Connects To TVs, Too Posted: 13 Jan 2012 11:13 AM PST Modern HDTVs can read all kinds of technology; DLNA streamed files, external hard drives, flash drives and heck, even SD cards. One thing they can't read is data from USB optical drives. Or rather, make optical drives one thing HDTVs couldn't read: Plextor's new PX-612U External Slim DVD/CD Writer connects via USB and can play information stored on discs, thanks to some technical trickery that convinces TVs that the device is actually an external hard drive. "It seems counter-intuitive that a USB-supported DVD Drive wouldn't work with a TV, but it has to do with the code that the devices use to communicate," Product Marketing Manager Kathy Huynh says in the press release. "PlexTV uses a code translator to make the PX-612U appear as a hard drive to the television, making the two devices compatible." The nifty drives work with media streamers and other USB-enabled devices, too, and yes, you can plug it into your PC. It'll be available in the first quarter, but no word yet on pricing details. The tech is definitely nifty, but does it fill an actual need for anybody out there?

Minecraft, Destructoid, Others Join January 18 SOPA Blackout Protest Posted: 13 Jan 2012 10:47 AM PST The Internet is going to be a cold, dark place on January 18th. After the Reddit team announced a few days back that the site would be down on that date as a protest to the proposed SOPA legislation, a couple of other organizations have decided to throw their lot in with Reddit and stage blackouts of their own. Namely, Minecraft, Destructoid, the iCanHazCheezburger family of sites, and Anonymous, the hacker group everybody loves to hate. Dozens of smaller sites such as Red 5 Studios and Errata Security will be shutting down as well. Even Wikipedia is considering a blackout. Now, we're not really sure what sort of impact an Anonymous blackout would have unless they start forcing other sites to conduct impromptu, involuntary blackouts of their own, but shutting down Minecraft, Destructoid and iCanHazCheezburger would certainly point non-news-following nerds to the cause. And imagine the awareness that would be created by a Wikipedia blackout – even my grandmother uses Wikipedia! While January 18 isn't looking to shape up to be a full-blown Internet wasteland, as had been speculated in the past, Forbes reports that the Google employees are saying there are internal debates about just how much Google can/should help protest SOPA, although the company has yet to make a formal announcement. Hey, while you're at it, why don't you head over to AmericanCensorship.org and lend your voice to the cause? I've already bugged my Congressfolks.

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MMO News

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• Gamigo announces Bloody Bite closed beta
• Combat Arms prepares for NEMEXIS
• A Lucky Friday the 13th in DarkEden
• Godfather: Five Famliies releases new neighborhood
• Fiesta Online: Expedition to Adealia Tour
• Demon Slayer arrives in MapleStory
• Repulse – First Look HD

Gamigo announces Bloody Bite closed beta Posted: 13 Jan 2012 01:45 PM PST From a dark corner, Gamigo has announced Bloody Bite, a new browser-based strategy game entering closed beta. Bloody Bite features the struggle between vampires and werewolves, set in the 1920s, as both factions seek to dominate the world and use humans to serve them. Players choose between these two factions, and proceed to conquer buildings in famous cities, complete missions, unlock new regions, work with clans, face against bosses, battle against their enemies, craft, and more. Gamigo also publishes King of Kings 3 and Martial Empires. Bloody Bite Gameplay Screenshot Source: Bloody Bite – Creatures of the night battle for the cities of the world Hamburg, 13.01.12 – Power-hungry bloodsuckers are no longer hiding in the shadows in gamigo’s newest building strategy game “Bloody Bite”. It’s the beginning of the twentieth century and vampires and werewolves have emerged to take over as the rulers of the Earth. The battle for dominion takes place in metropolises around the globe including London, Berlin and New York. Humans serve only one purpose now – to serve their new masters! Players can choose whether they would like to take on the role of a vampire or a werewolf to conquer buildings in select cities and then expand these to increase their sphere of influence. Here one can choose to take the safer route that yields less income or the high-risk approach with greater benefits. Oppressed and ill-treated humans might provide more resources but can easily be provoked to riot. Missions will need to be completed all around the world in order to unlock new regions. Players can join with others in their clan to conquer important cities together. If Shanghai, Hamburg or Rome is conquered by vampires, then it will be easier for all vampires to complete quests and defeat end bosses there. Bloody Bite can be played in all standard web browsers and is being developed by Plastic Fantastic in Hong Kong. The game is currently available in English; German and French versions will be available for the game’s official launch. Bloody Bite’s features at a glance: The battle between vampires and werewolves, set in the 1920s Conquer and expand buildings in metropolises around the world Choose between playing it safe or the risky approach Riots in the cities PvE missions against legendary monsters and other creatures Special PvE instances (including Frankenstein’s Laboratory) PvP system Clan system with battles for important quest areas Crafting system Comprehensive character creation and development (appearance, weapons, outfits, pets)

Combat Arms prepares for NEMEXIS Posted: 13 Jan 2012 01:33 PM PST Players of Combat Arms will be treated to a new special update next week, January 18. The content update will introduce a new PvE map, NEMESIS HQ. Here players will face off against enemy guards to reach and defeat the final boss, a gunship known as the Defensive Remote Engagement Assault Drone (D.R.E.A.D.). The update also introduces four new abilities: Opportunist (loot a primary weapon from a fallen player), Spoils of War (get bonus GP for loot), Parting Gift (drop a grenade at your feet on death), and Relentless Ability (faster respawn in select modes). Players will also be able to use the new Quick Start feature to quick match in their favorite maps and game modes. Combat Arms is published by Nexon, which also publishes Sudden Attack and Vindictus. NEMEXIS HQ Boss D.R.E.A.D. Combat Arms Gameplay Screenshot Source: Infiltrate NEMEXIS HQ Nexon America will add a new PvE map and matchmaking features in the upcoming January content update for "Combat Arms" The infected citizens are crying out for help to annihilate the illicit NEMEXIS Headquarters in "Combat Arms," Nexon's high intensity free-to-play, first-person shooter game. Launching on Wednesday, January 18, the January content update includes the game's latest player-versus-environment (PvE) map, an expedited matchmaking system and all new player Abilities. The corporation that unleashed the Overdose Virus will now face the consequences of the viral outbreak. The poorly controlled experimental virus had leaked into the city, causing the body count to rise. Players can seek revenge in the game's most devastating PvE map, NEMEXIS HQ. Soldiers will fight through a mass of augmented enemy guards to destroy the colossal gunship boss, Defensive Remote Engagement Assault Drone (D.R.E.A.D.), in order to claim victory and vengeance. Along with Wednesday's content update, the new Quick Start feature will quickly match players with their favorite maps and game modes, including the new NEMEXIS HQ map. The NEMEXIS HQ experience will also be enhanced by four new Abilities. Nimble scavengers will now profit even more thanks to the new Abilities, Opportunist and Spoils of War. These two Abilities will allow players to loot a primary weapon from a fallen player and receive bonus GP for the loot. On the flip side, two additional Abilities will strengthen players at their deathbed. Parting Gift will drop a grenade at a fallen player's feet, while the Relentless Ability will allow players to respawn faster in select modes. For more information about the upcoming content update, visit: http://combatarms.nexon.net.

A Lucky Friday the 13th in DarkEden Posted: 13 Jan 2012 01:03 PM PST DarkEden is hosting a special event this weekend to coincide with the “unlucky” Friday the 13th. From January 13 to January 15, players will get a Stone of Confusion for each day they log in. These stones offer a buff that grants players a 13x experience boost for one hour, granting a total of three hours for players who log in all three days. The game’s Bible Wars promotion is reaching its next milestone, 5,000 players participating; this milestone unlocks an Apple iPad giveaway plus 72 hours of double experience for all participants. DarkEden is published by Ignited Games, which also publishes Wind Slayer 2 and Rosh Online. DarkEden Gameplay Screenshot Source: Ignited Games is bringing its fans good luck this Friday the 13th with a special event for DarkEden, the first massively multiplayer online vampire role-playing game (MMOVRPG). Each day players log into the game from Friday, Jan. 13 to Sunday, Jan. 15, they will receive a Stone of Confusion, which – when activated – provides a lucky buff that gives characters 13 times the experience points for their in-game actions for one hour. Fortunate DarkEden fans can accumulate one stone each day during the event for a total of up to three stones. In addition, Ignited Games is nearing the finish line for its DarkEden Bible Wars promotion, which kicked off when the game officially launched last month. With more than 3,500 brave warriors already participating in the Bible War events, the total is rapidly approaching the 5,000 player milestone, which will unlock an Apple iPad giveaway for one lucky player, and a 72-hour double experience point buff for all Bible War participants.

Godfather: Five Famliies releases new neighborhood Posted: 13 Jan 2012 12:43 PM PST Kabam’s browser game, The Godfather: Five Families, has officially released Greenwich Village for players. The Second Neighborhood is an expansion which grants a new neighborhood to conquer, with new estate views, racket buildings, and a Consigliere. Players who build in this neighborhood effectively double the amount of land and resources they have to work with and strengthen their mob. The update also allows players to attack from units from both neighborhoods, while transferring and sharing resources to balance and grow both neighborhoods. Kabam also publishes Kingdoms of Camelot, Dragons of Atlantis, and Edgeworld. The Godfather: Five Families Gameplay Screenshot Source: Ruthless Dons Expand Their Turf in The Godfather: Five Families New Territory Allows Players to Grow their Criminal Empire on Their Way to Become the Don Kabam, the leading developer of hardcore social games, is pleased to announce that their hit mafia strategy title The Godfather: Five Families has just made the new Second Neighborhood of Greenwich Village available to players Money, power and respect are all necessary stops on the road to becoming a Don in The Godfather: Five Families, and starting today, you can increase your money, power and respect in the game's Second Neighborhood expansion. Available in-game today, the new Greenwich Village neighborhood is ripe for the taking by New York's most notorious mobsters. Greenwich Village is known for its tree-lined streets and inviting architecture, and the Second Neighborhood comes complete with a charming new estate view, exciting new racket buildings, and even a new Consigliere to help guide players! More land means more resources. By building up the neighborhood view in Greenwich Village, players can essentially double the amount of resources produced within their mafia empire — and more resources mean more possibilities. With more land also comes more power — the power to build more hideouts, more apartments and more respect. That means training multiple units at a time, and gaining more street cred through neighborhood influence. To earn the most respect, players can now attack with units from both of their neighborhoods to help them conquer New York. By establishing a residence in Greenwich Village, players will be able to transfer units and resources between all available neighborhoods. For example, if players are running low on cement in the First Neighborhood, they can send some delivery trucks filled with cement from Greenwich Village. Managing resources is as simple as that. A successful Don never lets an opportunity pass him by. Players who take control of Greenwich Village will essentially double the power of their mob, and ambition is rewarded handsomely in The Godfather: Five Families. A complete mafia strategy experience, The Godfather: Five Families is a browser based, free-to-play online multiplayer game is set in the Prohibition era preceding the Oscar winning films, with players joining crime families and battling for money, power, and respect.

Fiesta Online: Expedition to Adealia Tour Posted: 13 Jan 2012 12:14 PM PST Expedition to Adealia, Fiesta Online's latest expansion, launched on January 4, 2012. This new update takes players to the lands of Adealia, where the land is divided in a battle between good and evil, and offers approximately 80 hours of new content for players to enjoy. MMOHut was among the press this week who got to have a guided tour of this new conflicted area. We began in the zone Adealia, beneath the outstretched roots of an ancient tree known as Abalita. This is a valley where the Dark Elves and the citizens of Adealia have battled for years, until Adealian’s visionary leader, Abalita the Warrior, sacrified himself. One cannot, in other words, simply walk into Adealia. Instead, an NPC named Tamer Ani – accompanied by a great green bird named Claude – waits us on the ground level. To reach the town, we must take flight. After the great green bird lands us at our destination, we notice that Adealia is a rather colorful town, seeming to take to fae-inspired roots. A happy looking place, Adealia features topiaries  and colorful rooftops. The center of the town offers a great branching tree, the spiritual remnants of Abalita. Its citizens, on the other hand, are a new race for the players of Fiesta Online: a race with fox-like ears and tails, but otherwise humanoid appearances. We descend back down into Adealia Valley, to see the darker side of things. Here, many of the evil creatures are formed from dark matter. This is evident as we first march off into battle, facing off against Dark Apes: large, gorilla like creatures surrounded by floating purple orbs. We also encounter Black Spike Horns, large elk-like creatures that are also black. Finally, we meet the dark elves themselves, or, at least, the Depraved Elves, one of their factions. These dark-skinned humanoids seem eager to shoot arrows into us as we explore their camp, which features similar, albeit darker, themed architecture to what we find in Adealia. After showing the dark elves who's boss, our party moves on to Psiken Gardens and the Psiken mansion. These areas  are owned, aptly, by Psiken, a curious boss with a penchant to surround herself with the undead. We battle our way through wraiths, living statues, and mists inside the mansion, all of which are level 115 and prove to be a decent challenge for our lesser-leveled party. We finally find ourselves in the end boss room, and are treated to a guest appearance by the twisted girl Psiken and her unfriendly, large-mouthed dog companion. These bosses are some of the hardest in game yet, and while our party doesn't defeat them, we do take a trip to the loot room to see the piles of gold (and indulge in a little dance party). We're finally taken to Kahal Plains to wrap up the tour. This area is like a savannah, and features some odd-looking safari animals. While some creatures, like the Battle Beak or Wild Ape, look relatively normal with only exaggerated features, creatures like the Ruga are a strange mix of cat, lizard, and monkey that you definitely don't want to mess with. Kahal's inhabitants certainly stretch from the strange to the endearing, and players will also encounter the Dark Elves here, too. With dozens of hours of content, and some new challenges including over 100 quests, Fiesta's Expedition to Adealia offers a great new adventure for experienced Fiesta Online players. For new players of Fiesta Online, Adealia offers something great to look forward to, and shows the dedication of the team toward producing content for its players year after year.

Demon Slayer arrives in MapleStory Posted: 13 Jan 2012 12:03 PM PST The last of the Legends characters joined MapleStory this week – the Demon Slayer. Once a servant of the Black Mage, the Demon Slayer now fights in the Resistance and seeks to atone for his past. The class uses a one-handed mace and the Demon Aegis, a special class-only shield, while utilizing a special energy gauge called “Demon Fury.” Skills include Demon Impact, which targets multiple enemies at once and amplifies against bosses; Demon Cry, which drops enemy stats and raises experience and item drop rates; and Dark Winds, which sends the Demon Slayer gliding and double-jumping across Maple World. MapleStory is published by Nexon, which also publishes Mabinogi and Dragon Nest. MapleStory Gameplay Screenshot Source: The Demon Slayer Beckons Third and final character class rounds out the massive MapleStory Legends update The third and final character class to complete MapleStory's Legends update has finally arrived in the form of the Demon Slayer, who joins Mercedes and the Canonneer to round out Maple World's elite roster. As a former underling of the Black Mage, the Demon Slayer came to his senses and discovered where the real truth in battle resides, within the Resistance movement. In his quest to free Edelstein and atone for his evil past, the Demon Slayer fights with a mighty one-handed mace and defends himself with the Demon Aegis, a shield made exclusively for this formidable class. His unique energy gauge, known as Demon Fury, charges as the Demon Slayer defeats deadly monsters. Through his Demon Impact skill, the Slayer's dormant power is instantly activated to target multiple enemies at once, becoming more amplified as the power is used against boss monsters. With his Demon Cry, the Slayer tackles monsters' attack, defense and accuracy stats while raising item drop rates and EXP points for the player. Finally, the Demon Slayer's Dark Winds allows him to double jump and glide using his majestic wings while battling through Maple World foes. For players looking for an extraordinarily dynamic character with insane attacks and major strategic advantages, the Demon Slayer will not disappoint. To learn more about what's in store for MapleStory, visit http://maplestory.nexon.net.

Repulse – First Look HD Posted: 13 Jan 2012 10:16 AM PST To Learn More About the Game, Check out our Repulse Page. Genesis A.D is a fast paced 3D sci-fi themed MMOFPS publushed by Aeria Games – the same company behind Eden Eternal and Grand Fantasia. Repulse is a unique blend between 3D tactical games like Soldier and fast paced wall jumping games like S4 League. Players in Repulse can wall jump, cloak or boost across the map. This dynamic alone makes the game quite unique. Repulse use to be under ijij as Genesis A.D before shutting down and re-opening as Repulse under Aeria.

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MMO Updates

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• New WAKFU dev diary highlights player freedom, sandbox features
• MMObility: Some new gear, and some new news
• The Firing Line: Thousand-player dogfights and more PlanetSide 2 conjecture
• Firefall beta shutting down to protest SOPA
• The Daily Grind: How early should guild creation be allowed?
• This Week in MMO: Lawsuits edition
• The MMO Report: Baby names edition
• Behind the Mask: The dangers of roleplaying as an outlet
• RIFT flags more trial servers
• Ask Massively: No idea what's coming edition
• James Ohlen hits back against critics, defends SWTOR's innovation
• Massively interviews TwitchTV's Justin Kan
• The Guild Counsel: Star Wars guilds need more love!
• RIFT introduces 3-month, 6-month, and yearly subscription plans
• City of Heroes Issue 22 update features heaps of new content

New WAKFU dev diary highlights player freedom, sandbox features Posted: 13 Jan 2012 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Economy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries, Sandbox, Crafting If it's true that MMORPGs have become more linear as the genre has grown, it's also true that Ankama is setting out to do something different with WAKFU. The French development firm has released a new video dev diary titled Power to the Player, and it outlines how the free-to-play game is tackling some of the challenges inherent in sandbox design. "We really wanted to make WAKFU a game based on freedom, a game which puts the player in control," says Ankama designer Azael. "Most current MMOs create a game and then insert the player. With WAKFU we aimed to create the game around the players." WAKFU features very few NPCs (and no traditional vendor NPCs at all), and it also boasts mobs that don't drop money. Players create the game's currency themselves by harvesting ores and making use of minting machines, and players are also responsible for seeding the world with monsters since they don't respawn on their own. You can learn more about WAKFU by viewing the video after the break. Continue reading New WAKFU dev diary highlights player freedom, sandbox features New WAKFU dev diary highlights player freedom, sandbox features originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

MMObility: Some new gear, and some new news Posted: 13 Jan 2012 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Business models, Launches, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Mobile, Casual, Miscellaneous, MMObility It's been a pretty exciting time in mobile gaming this week. Not only am I finding more reasons to love minimal specs and portable gaming, but I see even more applications coming down the pike that will make mobile gaming even more exciting and possible. I envision a future in which cloud computing, storage and high-speed internet make devices thinner, lighter, and faster. Of course, this all depends on several factors from developers who might wish to take advantage of the technologies to companies that will provide the pipeline to us all. In my opinion, it's not a matter of if but when this switch to portable, cloud-based gaming happens. It just makes sense when you look at all of the ways we have switched to a more cloud-based world. I write these articles through the cloud; I do my banking on a website that is hosted somewhere far, far away. If you've ever bought a product online, you have trusted the internet in more ways than one. So let's take a look at some of the exciting new mobile goodies I discovered this week! Continue reading MMObility: Some new gear, and some new news MMObility: Some new gear, and some new news originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Firing Line: Thousand-player dogfights and more PlanetSide 2 conjecture Posted: 13 Jan 2012 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2, The Firing Line Welcome back to The Firing Line, boys and girls. Last week I talked at length about PlanetSide 2, and despite the fact that I'm apparently unqualified to do so according to some folks, I'm going to do it again this week. How do ya like them apples? Anyhow, that's not all I'm going to talk about, as a couple of other online shooters made news over the last seven days. Most of you know that I can't pass up the opportunity to mention Tribes: Ascend, and oh yeah, would you believe there's an aerial combat game that supports 1,000-player dogfights? Continue reading The Firing Line: Thousand-player dogfights and more PlanetSide 2 conjecture The Firing Line: Thousand-player dogfights and more PlanetSide 2 conjecture originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Firefall beta shutting down to protest SOPA Posted: 13 Jan 2012 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Legal, MMOFPS Gamers opposed to the controversial new SOPA legislation are somewhat limited in terms of voicing their displeasure. Game companies have a bit more visibility, and Red 5 Studios is making the most of it. On January 18th, the company will temporarily shut down the beta for its highly anticipated Firefall MMO shooter as a form of protest. The lights will remain off for 24 hours, and Red 5 CEO Mark Kern has some strong words for the bill and those who support it. "We are extremely disappointed in this misguided legislation. We are also ashamed of the ESA for supporting a bill which is clearly not in the best interests of gamers or the game industry," he told ShackNews. Kern went on to say that Red 5 has canceled its plans to attend this year's E3 "unless ESA reverses their stance." Firefall beta shutting down to protest SOPA originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: ShackNews

The Daily Grind: How early should guild creation be allowed? Posted: 13 Jan 2012 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Creating a guild is usually one of the largest parts of any major MMO. The guild is the place where you'll connect and coordinate with new and old friends alike. Guilds make an MMO what it is, and without them, we'd all be lost in a sea of PUGs. But the topic of guild creation has varying schools of thought. Most MMOs let you create a guild in the early stages of the game, as long as you have the required resources. Others gate guild creation by level, rare materials, geographical location, or more. I can see how this would be beneficial, as it would allow characters to learn how to work with random strangers before establishing a familiar group. Many times, once players are in a good guild, they don't venture outside of that comfort zone, almost nullifying the "massively" part of the term "MMO." So now we want to know your thoughts on the subject. Should guild creation be immediate (or even before the game launches, as with SWTOR), or should it be something to work up to? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind! The Daily Grind: How early should guild creation be allowed? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

This Week in MMO: Lawsuits edition Posted: 12 Jan 2012 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Video, Opinion, Humor, PlanetSide 2 It's that time again, folks. Gary Gannon and guests Mike B. and Mike Schaffnit bring you this week's edition of This Week in MMO, and today the spotlight is set on the Bethesda-Interplay lawsuit, which was recently resolved in Bethesda's favor. Meanwhile, console gamers everywhere are surely pleased to hear that they won't be left out of Blizzard's upcoming Diablo III, as it was recently confirmed that the game will be making the jump to consoles as well as PC. And finally, to top it all off, the guys have a chat about SOE CEO John Smedley's thoughts on the free-to-play business model and PlanetSide 2's newest trailer. If you've got an hour to kill, just click on past the cut for the full episode. Continue reading This Week in MMO: Lawsuits edition This Week in MMO: Lawsuits edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: This Week In MMO

The MMO Report: Baby names edition Posted: 12 Jan 2012 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Video, MMO industry, Opinion, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous This week on The MMO Report, Casey discusses the un-disbanding of the Multiverse project and associated Firefly/Buffy IPs, Wakfu's bright and bizarre character classes, DC Universe Online's timely crafting update, and Razer's new Fiona gaming tablet. He also notes that Bethesda came away the clear victor in the Fallout Online settlement. Now, where's our Fallout MMO? Finally, Casey dips into the mailbag to dispense advice to aspiring game designers and gratitude to a pair of gamers who are planning to name their first child after Casey himself. Says the Beard: "I am equally honored and aghast... I'm just a loudmouth with a camera who reads hit-or-miss jokes about nerd stuff off a teleprompter so that someone can put it on the internet." Watch Casey blush at the prospect of little baby beardlings in the full MMO Report video tucked behind the break. Continue reading The MMO Report: Baby names edition The MMO Report: Baby names edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: The MMO Report

Behind the Mask: The dangers of roleplaying as an outlet Posted: 12 Jan 2012 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Opinion, Free-to-play, Roleplaying, Champions Online, Behind the Mask Recently, I've run into some troubling developments while roleplaying in Champions Online. I've encountered quite a few "troll characters" who seem designed soley to irritate and annoy other people. The characters in question are often played by otherwise-good roleplayers, which makes me wonder: Why would someone do this? This is as much a topic for Storyboard as it is for Behind the Mask, but because it is very common among Champions Online roleplayers, I feel it deserves extra consideration. This article isn't going to finger-point at bad roleplayers and say why they're wrong. Rather, the point of this column is to inform good roleplayers about elements of RP that can quickly ruin people's fun. Continue reading Behind the Mask: The dangers of roleplaying as an outlet Behind the Mask: The dangers of roleplaying as an outlet originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

RIFT flags more trial servers Posted: 12 Jan 2012 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, News items, RIFT In a rather surprising move for a number of RIFT players, it turns out that several of the game's servers have been converted over to trial servers. Naturally, it makes players instinctively fearful that it's the first step toward server shutdowns and closures. But that's not quite what's going on. As explained by community manager Elrar quite some time ago, trial servers are lower-population servers that are essentially being put to one side for large-scale trial programs. Character creation for subscribers is disabled on those servers, and there's a message encouraging you to move to another server with a free transfer, but it's not a shutdown, just a ramp-up to a larger trial period for non-subscribers. According to Rift Junkies, a total of 11 servers are seeing the trial tag applied, and players are encouraged to move off these servers by January 18th. If you've got a character on Belmont, Galena, Atrophinius, Crucia, Alsbeth, Estrael, Shadefallen, Sunrest, Freeholme, Dayblind, or Faemyst, now would be a good time to start planning for greener, non-trial pastures. [Thanks to Celestial Lord for the tip!] RIFT flags more trial servers originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Server Consolidation news, Elrar explains the trial tag

Ask Massively: No idea what's coming edition Posted: 12 Jan 2012 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Business models, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous I don't know what's going to happen next in the MMO industry. I have my guesses, sure, but unless I'm fairly certain, I just don't feel right putting them up here. I certainly would not have ever imagined a world where APB: Reloaded was successful, or one where Lineage II goes free-to-play, and until it was announced, I wouldn't dare dream of WildStar. Heck, half the time I'm not sure I understand what's going on at any given moment, much less several months down the line. This week's Ask Massively received several questions that require me to be more confident about my predictions than I actually am, but it does contain a question about the future of Aion and a question on the past, present, and future of cheating. If you've got a question you'd like to see answered in a future installment of the column, leave it in the comments below or send it along to ask@massively.com. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity. Continue reading Ask Massively: No idea what's coming edition Ask Massively: No idea what's coming edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

James Ohlen hits back against critics, defends SWTOR's innovation Posted: 12 Jan 2012 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, Launches, Star Wars: The Old Republic Star Wars: The Old Republic Game Director James Ohlen isn't surprised that the game's received the flak it has from a segment of reviews and fans. In a candid interview with Eurogamer, Ohlen addresses both the issues of being a "big target" for critics and the claims that SWTOR's lacking innovation. For the most part, players and critics have praised the game, Ohlen shares, and BioWare is seeing an "exceptionally high" desire among its playerbase for continued subscriptions. But was BioWare prepared for the backlash as well? Ohlen says it was: "We knew that there was going to be people who wanted us to fail. But that's just the nature of the game. If you're going to build a huge game and try to go out to a lot of people, you're going to have people who just react poorly." He does push back hard against claims that SWTOR failed on the innovation front, stating, "We wanted to take the lessons that have been developed in that genre over years and years and years and basically refine them, much like other companies do with other genres. So, I don't know, it's just the way it is, but I don't see us as not being innovative. We're actually a lot more innovative within the MMO space than comparable games in other spaces like the first-person genre, the action genre -- games like that." James Ohlen hits back against critics, defends SWTOR's innovation originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Eurogamer

Massively interviews TwitchTV's Justin Kan Posted: 12 Jan 2012 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Business models, Culture, Interviews, Massively Interviews, Miscellaneous If you've stayed up-to-date with Massively's livestreaming, then you know that we recently made the switch to TwitchTV to meet all of our streaming needs. There have been some bumps in the road along the way, but overall the experience has been wonderful. We've even added several new personalities to the mix and now stream fan favorites like APB: Reloaded, EVE Online and others. Justin Kan, president of Justin.tv (of which Twitch is a part), sat down and answered several of our questions about the livestreaming service. Click past the cut to read the interview! Continue reading Massively interviews TwitchTV's Justin Kan Massively interviews TwitchTV's Justin Kan originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Guild Counsel: Star Wars guilds need more love! Posted: 12 Jan 2012 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Guilds, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Guild Counsel A few weeks back, I wrote about the impressive pre-launch guild system in Star Wars: The Old Republic, pointing out that not only is it wildly popular but that it indicates that BioWare recognizes the validity of guilds. So it surprised me when I began to slowly notice the absence of various guild features and tools that I've grown accustomed to seeing in other games, tools that are almost a necessity in this day and age. In fact, at one point, I had to ask myself if there was any benefit at all to being in a guild other than having guild chat and a cool tag. I'm certainly haven't lost hope yet because after all, it's only a few weeks into the game, and features like the guild capital ship have already been mentioned as being on the way. But this week, I'm playing amateur developer and adding my list of guild-friendly features that are must-haves for SWTOR (and for all MMOs, actually!). Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Star Wars guilds need more love! The Guild Counsel: Star Wars guilds need more love! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

RIFT introduces 3-month, 6-month, and yearly subscription plans Posted: 12 Jan 2012 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, News items, RIFT It's a new year, and the folks at Trion Worlds want you to spend it in Telara. In order to entice players to stick around, the studio has announced three new subscription plans for those who are tired of dropping $15 US every month. RIFT players can now subscribe for three months for $12.99 US per month (that's $38.97 US, billed every three months), six months for $10.99 US per month ($65.94 US every six months), or one year for $9.99 US per month ($119.88 US every year). But wait, there's more! For a limited time only, Trion is offering players a discount on the yearly subscription package. Instead of paying $9.99 per month, players will pay $8.25 per month for a total of $99.00 per year. So if you're one of the many RIFT players who have been waiting for multi-month subscription options, all you have to do is head on over to your account page and make the switch. For more details, check out the game's official subscription information page. RIFT introduces 3-month, 6-month, and yearly subscription plans originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: RIFT subscription information

City of Heroes Issue 22 update features heaps of new content Posted: 12 Jan 2012 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Galleries, Screenshots, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play Paragon and NCsoft have officially announced the latest update for the long-running City of Heroes superhero MMORPG. Issue 22: Death Incarnate is the title's first major content drop since the free-to-play conversion, and new endgame trials, costumes, powers, and VIP items are on the way. Chief among the updates are tweaks to the Dark Astoria zone (it becomes a Co-op Incarnate Zone tailored for level 50-plus heroes). Also noteworthy is the new darkness power set for Controllers and Dominators, which should cause a cackle of glee for those of you who relish summoning spectral minions and commanding shadows. There's also a new trial called Dilemma Diabolique in which heroes and villains must join forces to take down the evil sorceress Diabolique before she makes good on her nefarious plan to rule the world. And that's just the tip of the new content iceberg. More info on Issue 22 is available at the CoH website. [Source: NCsoft press release] Gallery: City of Heroes Core Gallery City of Heroes Issue 22 update features heaps of new content originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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